Prelude to Crystarium Reign
by Shine-Avalon
Summary: Preview of upcoming FF 13/Versus 13 x-over series. Featuring Lightning, Noctis, Snow, Stella, Vanille and many others. This fantasy will be their reality. Check the profile page for 'Crystarium Reign', which is currently up. -COMPLETE-
1. Trailer 1

**Lightning in the Sky**

_This is Cocoon, a floating utopian city created by the Crystals. The Crystals reign over this world and have decided to create Cocoon to separate themselves from Pulse. Many residents of Cocoon fear everything about Pulse, or "the world below". So much so, the "holy" government of Cocoon has been quarantining and exiling anyone who has been influenced by Pulse. Though there are some who find this treatment unfair, there hasn't been much anyone could do about it. Then one day, something falling from the sky changed both their worlds forever._

A train full of 80 armed soldiers heads to town. They are wearing white and yellow battle suits with automatics in their hands (picture the storm troopers of Star Wars). One of the soldiers looks up through the thick glass ceiling of the train and sees an object falling toward them. He asks one of his fellow soldiers, "What the hell is that?" The other soldier replies, "I don't know; doesn't seem like anything threatening."

The object is actually a strawberry-blond haired woman looking to prevent the train from arriving into town. Falling through the sky head first, she whips out her gun and points it to the train. She fires five shots into the top of the train as the soldiers scatter. Then she forms a ball of energy in her left hand called a Gravity Bomb and throws it into the cracked glass ceiling. The woman crashes through the glass just as the gravity bomb hits. The bomb emits a blue aura, causing 60 of the soldiers to be pinned to the floor. The woman, after falling thousands of feet in the air, somehow lands gracefully on her feet.

The remaining 20 soldiers attempt to take her down. She whips out her Gunblade, chops six of the soldiers' guns in pieces and leg sweeps the soldiers to the floor. She then switches to gun mode and shoots five more in their knees. By pressing her index finger and thumb together, she uses her Gravity Bomb power to hover in the air. With the soldiers standing still in awe, she quickly strikes and takes down eight of the soldiers with gravity-defying moves. Suddenly, she turns to see one soldier left standing.

This soldier is terrified. She jumps over his head as he looks behind him…to find no one there. He turns back around and is startled to find her floating in front of him upside down with two guns in his face. With a stern face, she lets off six shots into his helmet and face mask. An army of 80 is disabled in a minute and a half by one woman.

She stands over one of the soldiers as she addresses the whole army. "Tell your people if you continue your frivolous actions, you will be seeing much more of me. This is your only warning." She walks to the edge of the moving train, looks back at the carnage she created and gives a little smirk. She then jumps off the moving train.

In a dark kingdom not to far away, a young dark-haired man sitting on his throne wakes up startled. He says to himself, "Was that her?"

* * *

_Crystarium Reign_

_Coming in 2010_

_This fantasy will be their reality_


	2. Trailer 2

**Watch the Throne**

Now awake, the young prince sitting on his throne ponders whether it was a dream or a vision. It felt so real to him. Did he really see her? Is she still alive or did he just hope that she was? He puts his hands over his face to shake off some of the shock. Suddenly, he hears gunfire and screaming coming from outside the castle. He picks up his head and looks around at the ceiling, focusing on the continuing gunfire. Instead of running away or even rushing outside in urgency to see what's going on, he slowly gets up from his throne and walks out of his chamber.

The prince calmly walks down the hallway and toward the front entrance. He thinks to himself, "_My kingdom is the last of its kind. They keep coming back here. They want my kingdom. They want my Crystal. Well, they'll have to go through me first. I will not beaten…because I won't allow it._" At that point, his anger causes his dark blue eyes to turn a crimson red.

The dark-haired prince takes his first steps outside his dark kingdom. Thunder and lighting begin to color the sky. He sees several of his guards laid out on the floor of the steps; they're all dead. He looks straight ahead to see the ones who created this carnage. About 90 soldiers wearing golden, medieval armor and armed with automatic assault rifles (ironic, but true). At the bottom of the stairs, the soldiers see the dark-haired prince and aim their guns at him. The sound of the guns being drawn doesn't even make him flinch. He actually starts walking downstairs toward them. One of the soldiers on the front line shouts out, "Ready…and fire!"

The shots start flying. They eventually hit their mark…yet he continues to walk toward them. Bullet casings pour onto the concrete stairs, thanks to an invisible, protective force field surrounding him. With every hit, remnants of the shield and sharp weaponry show. He stops in his tracks and puts out his right hand as the weapons appear for all to see. The lances, swords, spears, axes and other weapons swirl around him; 11 weapons in all. His falchion sword falls into his hand as his crimson red eyes glow a bit. It is that moment when he charges the soldiers with immense speed.

With no restraint, he cuts his way into the middle of the firing masses. With the force field still protecting him, the prince then jumps off one of the soldier's guns, lands on the shoulders of another and breaks the soldier's neck with his legs. He extends his shield into close proximity of some of the armored warriors. This causes their own gunfire to hit them. The prince turns his back to them and teleports to the middle of the staircase. They run up after him as he stops, looks up at his castle and sees three more soldiers scaling down from the roof.

The soldiers think they have a clean shot at him, but they run hard into his invisible shield (which feels like a brick wall). The prince then teleports toward the elevated soldiers scaling the walls. He free-falls and cuts the ropes of a solider (who ends up free-falling himself). He throws his sword all the way to the opposite wall, teleports to grab the sword and dives toward the remaining two. He maims the first soldier shooting at him. The second soldier, also firing, loses his grip on the rope and starts falling. He quickly teleports to shorten the gap between them and impales him.

The prince pulls out his bloody sword and teleports back to the top of the staircase. One of the few remaining soldiers shoots a rocket at him from a rocket launcher. He turns his head toward it just as impact is made. After the explosion and smoke clears, he is shown unscathed. The weapons encased in the illuminated shield twirl around him. He points his right index finger toward his enemies as each of his 11 weapons darts straight through the remaining 11 soldiers. His enemies have all fallen. The prince of the castle is the last man standing.

He gestures with his hands for his weapons to come back to him. They levitate out of the lifeless armored bodies, surround him and disappear back to their invisible state. After all that, he simply walks back into the castle. Just as he enters, a blonde-haired friend of his carrying a shotgun comes running toward him. He screams out, "Noctis, Noctis, I heard the gunfire! They're back, aren't they? I'm here to help. Okay, what's the plan? How many are there?"

"There's none left."

"None? What do you mean…?" He looks out at the destruction his royal friend has caused.

The prince says, "I'm headed to bed. Don't worry about the mess out there. We'll clean it up in the morning." The prince walks toward his room.

His friend knows how powerful he is, but he is astonished that he finished them off so quickly. The young blonde-haired man asks, "I know I ask you this a lot, but why do you need guards again?" The prince smiles at him, then walks through the dark hallway toward his bedroom.

* * *

_Crystarium Reign_

_Coming in 2010_

_This fantasy will be their reality_

* * *

One more thing - I'd like to give a special thanks to the authors who reviewed my story thus far...**  
**

**KisaraCrystal (thanks for being first), Stella Nox Fleuret, Annette Hime and Animegirl Yuki Minamoto**


	3. Trailer 3

**A Girl's Savior**

It's another beautiful day in Cocoon. Everyone is going about their normal day. Amongst them wanders a red-haired young girl in pigtails with a big smile on her face. She is dressed in native, savannah style clothing worn by the residents of rural Pulse. She looks around at the ambiance of Cocoon and is in awe of its beauty. Many people look at the girl in disapproval. They can tell by her wardrobe that she is from Pulse and don't want her around. Yet, the girl stays genuinely optimistic and ignores the loathing masses. Suddenly, two gun-toting guards of the Cocoon government spot her and stop her in her tracks.

One of the soldiers tells her, "Hold it right there!"

The girl asks, "I'm sorry. Did I do something wrong?"

The other guard says, "You know what you've done by walking around here. Too bad such a lovely girl is from such a vile place. You're coming with us." Just as the guards step toward her, four bullets scream past the girl's ears and plow into the guards' bodies. Civilians of Cocoon start running away in fear. The frightened young girl turns to see the assailant: a strawberry-blond haired woman standing there with a smoking gun. The same woman that's been tormenting Cocoon for the past few weeks.

The woman yells out, "Come on, we have to go!" She scoops up the shocked girl, looks at the motionless guards on the ground, then flees the scene in remarkable speed. After being a few minutes from the scene and out of everyone's visibility, the woman stops in an alley and puts down the girl. The red-haired girl can't believe what just happened. As the woman looks out for potential threats, the girl just stares at her. The woman finally locks eyes with the girl and is taken back by her starry gaze. In a firm voice, the woman asks, "What are you looking at?"

"Oh my god! It's you!"

The woman replies, "Yeah, it's me."

"This is incredible! I get to finally meet you. Though, I didn't think you would look like…you. Wow, you're the savior."

"Or the plague, depends on your point of view."

The girl tells her, "How rude of me. I haven't introduced myself. My name is Oerba Dia Vanille." She curtsies, giving the woman a show of respect. The girl says, "My friends call me Vanille. What's your name?"

"That's none of your concern at the moment."

"Oh, come on; you did save me back there. The least you can do is give me your name."

The woman reluctantly gives in. "OK. They call me Lightning."

Vanille wonders, "Lightning? That's not a very womanly name."

Lightning answers, "And I suppose killing two guards in 1.7 seconds isn't considered womanly either. Look, what were you just doing back there?"

"Um…walking?"

"You were out in the open. If I wasn't there, you'd either be shipped back to Pulse or be dead by now."

Vanille smiles and says, "My purpose is…well, you know. We are both l'Cies. The crystals know…"

Lightning interrupts. "I'm not a l'Cie by choice! Don't you forget that. I'm here to destroy the Holy Government and to protect the people of Pulse."

"That's all well and good, but I'm not as defenseless as I may look." Lightning looks at her from head to toe. She then lightly punches Vanille in her right shoulder.

"Ow! Why did you hit me?"

"To prove my point. In my book, that's defenseless."

Vanille rubs her shoulder and says, "Whatever! You still didn't have to hit me like that."

"I didn't hit you; I grazed you. You don't want to see me hit you. And I don't want to see you walking Cocoon like its home! Am I clear?"

"Okay. Fine, I'm sorry. I'll tread more carefully. Well, I think I should be heading off now. Despite giving me this welt on my arm, it was nice meeting you, Lightning."

"Likewise."

Vanille starts walks away. She then stops, turns to Lightning and says, "You know, you should learn to smile more."

With a stern face, Lightning says, "Smiling is overrated."

Vanille giggles and says, "I guess that's how you have to be. Bye Lightning!" She skips out of the alley as Lightning wonders about her behavior.

Lightning says to herself, "What a weird little thing." She leaves the alley in the opposite direction.

* * *

_Crystarium Reign_

_Coming in 2010  
_

_This fantasy will be their reality_

* * *

One more thing: **What was your favorite part/quote from this chapter?**

Thanks to **KisaraCrystal, Yuki Minamoto, Damien The Prince of Darkness & Stella Nox Fleuret** for reviewing.


	4. Trailer 4

**Beauty on the Road**

A black luxury car is traveling down a long, seemingly endless road through a barren desert. On this warm beautiful afternoon, Prince Noctis is in the car accompanied by three of his friends. The red-head with glasses driving the vehicle is Ignis. The young blonde kid riding shotgun to his left is Prompto (carrying a shotgun on his lap, mind you). The man with the jet black hair and the scar on his face is Gladiolus. He is sitting behind Prompto with Noctis sitting to his right.

Gladiolus comments, "It's good to be out of the castle for a change."

Prompto adds in, "Are you kidding? I loved being in that damp castle for two straight weeks without communicating with the outside world."

Ignis tells Prompto, "Is that sarcasm I hear? We should've left your smart ass home to rot some more."

Prompto says, "You wouldn't leave me anywhere. I'm the life of the party."

Gladiolus chimes in by saying, "Yeah, the annoying part of life." He and Ignis laugh while Prompto sneers at them. Noctis is in his own thoughts as he stares out the car window.

Gladiolus taps the prince on the shoulder and asks, "You okay, Noct?"

Noctis shakes out of his trance. "Sorry guys. I'm just thinking about one of our guards that got ambushed the other day. It was his first day on the job; now he's dead. This ongoing war is really getting to me."

Ignis tries to convince him otherwise. "It comes with the territory. They knew what they signed up for. No use beating yourself up over it."

Gladiolus adds in, "We need you on point, man. You're the prince of the kingdom. This is a heartless world out here. Besides, you're not this compassionate when you're the one slaying the enemy."

Noctis snaps back, "Don't go there, Gladiolus. It is the crystal that adds to that behavior. You know that already." Prompto's eyes widen after his surprising comment.

Gladiolus replies, "Okay, you're right. I stepped out of bounds there. I'm just saying you can't break your focus right now."

Ignis adds in, "We don't need any in-fighting. Then Prompto might think the leader position is up for grabs."

Prompto says, "I can be leader. I can take out 50 soldiers in 10 seconds if I want. I just choose not to." Everyone laughs, including Noctis this time.

Noctis tells the guys, "Thanks, fellas. I needed that one. So, how long until we get there?"

As Prompto is looking through his cell phone, Ignis looks back and says, "Should be another ten minutes." When he looks back toward the road, out of thin air, a long white limousine is blocking the road about 100 ft from them. Ignis yells out, "Oh shit" and veers out of the way; the others added their own expletives. After their car stops in the sand and the dust clears, the guys slowly get out the car shaken up.

"You guys alright?", asks Gladiolus.

Ignis replies, "Yeah. Where did that thing come from?"

Noctis says, "I don't know. I just want to know to whom we owe the pleasure."

"I come in peace, Noctis Lucis Caelum." The guys turn toward the limo and see a beautiful blonde in a brown blouse and a long brown skirt standing next to the limo.

Gladiolus likes what he sees. "Holy shit."

Ignis adds in, "I concur."

Prompto comments, "Nearing killing us just to see Noctis. Yeah, that sounds about right."

Noctis approaches her and asks, "I'm sorry. Have we met?"

The girl replies, "Not exactly. But I sure know about you. I'm Stella." They shake hands, though Noctis is apprehensive in doing so.

"Okay…Stella. You know, if you wanted to talk, you didn't have to drive us off the road to get our attention."

"Sorry. Technically, I'm not supposed to be talking to you."

"So why are we talking right now?"

Stella tells him, "Because we both have something in common."

"And what would that be?"

"Well, the light of course." Noctis and his friends are shocked to hear she possesses the same power that he has.

Noctis wonders, "How do you…?"

Before he could finish, Stella moves close enough to him that they are touching chest-to-chest. She says to his left ear, "Don't you feel that? The pull we have when we're this close to each other? The same energy that goes through you when you fight goes through me too. You're telling me you don't feel that?"

Slightly nervous by how close she is, he replies, "Yeah, I do…among other things I feel right now."

Stella smirks and says, "You're funny." She backs away from him, then says, "Look, I don't want my family to know I've gone so far, so I'll be taking off now. This whole charade was just so you wouldn't forget me."

Noctis replies, "Mission accepted."

"Plus, now you know I'm not a regular girl trying to hit on you. Here's my card. I'd love to see you again. I think we have a lot of talk about."

"Yes we do. Umm, how's next Wednesday sound?"

Stella smiles and says, "Sounds good to me. Meet me at the address on there at around 10 PM. Enjoy the rest of your day." She walks toward the guys as she waves and says, "Bye guys!" The three of us just wave bye to her; they're speechless.

Noctis can't help but watch every step Stella takes toward the back of the limo. Stella looks at him one last time, gives him a wink and goes inside the limo. Noctis walks toward his crew, trying to capture what just happened.

Gladiolus asks, "So, all that for a date?"

Noctis says, "She was right, though. She does have the light, or something resembling it. I just wonder…" He turns back as the guys see the white limo has vanished as quick as it appeared.

Prompto yells out, "Oh come on!"

Ignis says to Noctis, "I guess the other girl you've been fantasizing over has to take a backseat for a while."

Noctis replies, "Maybe so. Maybe so."

* * *

_Crystarium Reign_

_Coming soon_

_Two paths. One legacy._

* * *

One more thing: In 'Crystarium Reign', I originally used made-up names for Noctis' friends before the real ones were revealed in 2009. So if you see them in my reviews, you'll know who is who.

Prompto – Drake (shotgun)  
Ignis – Triton (glasses)  
Gladiolus – Maze (scar)

**What was your favorite part/quote from this chapter?**

Special thanks to **Lightning and Noctis (Yuki), Stella Nox Fleuret (3****rd**** straight), animeaics & Vicis est Eternus -Cassandra- **for reviewing.


	5. Trailer 5

**Chain of Command**

Lightning is walking through a forest with an younger gentleman. With the sun setting, they are strolling along holding hands, being very affectionate toward one another. What's left of the sun is shining on her, while he walks in the shadows. Lightning tells him, "You know, I enjoyed lunch this afternoon. I've never had veal before."

He replies, "I'm glad you liked it. You know, I really enjoy spending time with you."

"Same here. I know it's been a short time, but we just have this connection, you know?" The man kisses her on the cheek as she smiles.

He tells her, "Come here; I wanna tell you something."

He whispers in her ear, but she has difficulty hearing. "Say it a little louder. I can't hear you", she implores.

_Lightning…Lightning_…"Lightning! Lightning! Hey, Lighty!"

* * *

Lightning wakes up after realizing she was dreaming on the couch. She's in the rec room of Team NORA'sz headquarters. Standing in front of her is her former Cocoon and now current comrade-in-arms Sazh Katzroy. "Lighty, are you awake?"

Lightning mumbles, "Thanks to you, I am now."

"Sorry. Did I interrupt a pleasant dream?"

A groggy Lightning sit up on the couch and answers his question…albeit not truthfully. "No, it was the usual one. Pestilence, mayhem, anarchy; you know, my kind of thing. Why did you wake me, Sazh?"

Sazh replies, "Team briefing. Snow wants us in the war room to go over the next mission."

Lightning is less than enthusiastic about the news. "Snow and his super friends. Great."

Sazh then requests, "Can you please listen to them before jumping down their throats?"

She stands up and sarcastically replies, "Don't I always?" She walks away and heads toward the war room.

Sazh replies, ""No, you don't!" He follows right behind her.

Lightning then thinks to herself about the dream she just had. _"I can never see his face. Why is it always him?"_

* * *

The two eventually walk into the war room together. Awaiting them are NORA members Gadot, Lebreau and the leader of the resistance group, Snow Villiers.

Snow comments, "Look who woke up to their slumber."

Lightning tells him, "Don't start with me, Snow. What do you got?"

Snow presses a remote to show a layout of their next mission on the big screen. "Here is the underground sector where our people are being held captive. Now, once we infiltrate, Gadot and I will man the frontline. Sazh and…"

Lightning interrupts. "Gadot? He almost got Lebreau shot in the head last time."

Gadot answers, "Come on! I didn't see that soldier behind her. Plus, she got out of the way in plenty of time. Anyone could have made that mistake."

"I wouldn't have", utters the uber-confident Lightning. Gadot and Lebreau are not happy with her comment. Sazh just shakes his head in disbelief.

Snow tries moving along. "OK. Lightning, you and Sazh will flank us on both sides; you on the right, Sazh on the left. Once we get through the first wave, Lebreau will lead the charge for the rest of us to rescue the others in their holding here." Snow points out the captives' location on the map.

Lightning replies, "I don't know if Lebreau's retrieval skills will enable us to evacuate the prisoners in an acute manner."

Lebreau fires back, "That's funny, because no one asked for your opinion."

Still looking at Snow, Lightning says, "Even funnier is that you think I care what you say."

Lebreau grabs a chair, flips it to the ground and yells out, "I'm tired of this shit! You do this during every briefing. You think you're so great, don't you? Why don't you show me how great you are?"

Lightning looks at her and says, "I'm pretty sure you don't want that. How's your wrist, by the way?" Things between the two of them got a little out of hand during the last briefing. Guess who won that physical exchange.

Gadot sides his friend Lebreau. "What's your problem, Lightning? You've been giving us static ever since you got here."

Lightning yells out, "I'm not here to be your fucking friend! I'm your…"

Sazh tries to diffuse her imminent tirade. "Lightning." He looks at her with that 'don't do this again' face.

Lightning looks at him, closes her eyes, exhales then addresses the group in a more calmly manner. "Look, I get it, Lebreau. You, Gadot and Snow grew up together. You're protective of each other. However, your egos will be your downfall. My job is to strategically give us the best chance to survive. If you don't like my critique, so be it. We'll stick to your plan. I just hope you all don't get killed. Snow, will the evacuation code for the captured still be Alpha 6-1-3?"

"Umm…yes. Yes it is."

"Okay. Well, if there's nothing else, I'm going to check the weapon inventory."

Snow smiles and tells her, "You can go. Besides those two things, the procedure will be the same as the rest."

Lightning looks at each and every person in the eyes in a deafly silent room. She simply says, "Good" and walks toward the door.

Sazh comments, "That actually went better than the last meeting. How IS your wrist, Lebreau?"

Lebreau shouts back, "It's fine!"

Gadot asks Snow, "How can you put up with her crap, Snow?"

Snow responds, "Because she's the best soldier I've ever seen. Yes, she has personality issues, but she hasn't killed any of us so that's a good thing. She's on our side; that's what's most important." Watching the defiant soldier leave, Snow smirks and says to himself, "Lightning."

* * *

_Crystarium Reign_

_Coming soon_

_Two paths. One legacy._

* * *

One more thing: I want to say thank you for all you guys for reading. This is only a preview, yet I've gotten such a good response. 19 reviews, awesome! **What was your favorite part/quote from this chapter?**

Special thanks to my regulars **Yuki & Stella Nox Fleuret (four straight reviews**).

Also, thanks to **MidnightReader1, Newbie & Kayano ** for your reviews.


	6. Trailer 6

**Date Night**

Prompto, Ignis and Gladiolus are sitting around in one of the main rooms of the castle. They're awaiting Noctis, whose big 'date' with Stella is tonight. He himself doesn't consider it one, though. The prince finally walks in wearing a black suit, black dress shirt and no tie.

Noctis asks the guys, "Okay, how do I look?" The boys give him catwalks and howl at him, embarrassing the prince. "Alright, alright, very funny. So, I take it you like it?"

Ignis tells him, "You look good, Noct. The other suit looked good also."

Gladiolus says, "This is the fourth outfit you put on. You must be nervous for this date."

"This is not a date. I'm just going to see what she knows; nothing more. You know, I think the last suit was better." The guys groan as he's about to change yet again. That's when Prompto grabs him and brings him back into the room.

With his hands on Noctis' shoulders, Prompto tries to encourage him. "Easy there, tiger. By the way, that cologne smells good on you. It's very…manly. Okay, I know you're nervous. All you have to do is look her in the eyes and say, 'you look amazingly beautiful tonight, Stella.' The rest, they say, is history."

Gladiolus asks Prompto, "Are YOU really giving HIM woman advice, dummy?"

Noctis brings order to the situation. "Easy there. I think that's my cue to go. Ignis, you ready?"

"Why does he get to go?", asks the disappointed Prompto.

Ignis shows him the car keys. "I'm the driver, remember? It's not like I'm going to be the third wheel. I'll be in the car until he's done."

Gladiolus comments, "Hopefully for Noct's sake, you'll be waiting for hours." Noctis simply smiles.

Prompto says, "Noct, just to remind you, if she has any hot friends…"

"…put a word in for you. I know the usual drill. Don't wait up, boys." He and Ignis head outside.

Gladiolus says to his friend, "You are so desperate."

Prompto replies, "Just wanna make sure all members of the female race are graced with my presence." Gladiolus's reaction to his proclamation: *facepalm*

* * *

At around 10:30 PM, Noctis & Ignis arrive in front of Stella's private home. Noctis says to Ignis, "Wish me luck, buddy."

Ignis replies, "Just relax and play it cool." Noctis nods in approval, then gets out of the car. He walks up to the front door and knocks. Soon enough, a woman opens the door and says, "Welcome, Mr. Caelum. Princess Stella is expecting you upstairs. Please come in." Noctis walks in and admires the interior design of the lobby. He then says to himself, "Princess? Hmm."

Noctis walks up the stairs, continuing to bask in the amazing decoration of Stella's home. When he reaches the top of the stairs, he finds Stella staring out the window, overlooking a stunning view of the city. She is wearing a lovely white dress. She slowly turns to him and gives him a warm, welcoming smile.

"Noctis! I'm so glad you made it. What do you think of the place? It's my private getaway for when the castle life bores me."

"Yeah, it's truly amazing. I guess princesses can afford places like this."

Stella smiles and says, "Wow, cute & funny. You're my kind of guy. I thought the way we first met was shocking enough for you. I didn't want to push the princess stuff on you too."

Noctis walks next to her by the window and comments, "So, that would make you Stella Fleuret."

Stella is impressed with his deduction. "Actually, it's Stella Nox Fleuret. You know your territories, Mr. Caelum." She then looks out at the city, admiring the view. "Isn't it wonderful?" Noctis proceeds to look at the view as Stella continues. "The flashing lights, the stilled energy. It talks to you, even from here. It's just so beautiful. I love my kingdom, but I go batty unless I'm in the city every now and then. How do you stay in that castle all the time?"

"I do it because I have to. I'm the only one that can protect my kingdom to the fullest extent."

"Because of your power. Because of the light." Stella looks him with a gleam in her eyes.

Noctis then looks at her, feeling uneasy about where the conversation is going. "You know what, I don't think we should be talking about this." He starts walking away, but she follows right behind him.

Stella states, "Avoiding me is the last thing you should be doing. I understand what you're going through. I can see the light too. Do you fully understand the position that puts us in around these parts? We can run this whole country."

"I only use this power to protect my kingdom. It has no benefit to me outside of that."

Stella smiles. "Same here; just wanted to see where your heart lied. I do have integrity, you know. Some see our power as some sort of curse. I always look at it as an incredible gift. Maybe that's just the optimist that I am. Come here for a second." She grabs him by the wrist, much to his surprise, and pulls him into her art gallery in the next room. Amongst several pieces of art hangs a gigantic painting on her wall. She asks, "Does this look familiar to you?"

"Etro. The Goddess of Death. Where did you get this painting?"

"I…made it."

Noctis is astounded. "YOU painted this?"

"Yeah! I mean, it took me a few months to do. I'm really into art. I've seen her in books as well as in visions in my head, especially when I'm fighting."

"That happens to me, too. Yet another connection between us."

Stella looks at him and smiles, "Yeah, isn't that awesome?! Some couple we are, huh?" Noctis blushes a little as Stella asks, "It's extraordinary. Goddess Etro is said to open the door to the afterlife and greet the souls of the dead. Once opened, the released souls burst out in a streak of light that ascends to the heavens. It's said that a special few are able to see the light…"

"…and those who can see this light possess power from the Kingdom of the Dead."

Stella is impressed. "You DO know the story."

"I made it my business to know. I am the story…well, we're the story." Noctis walks back into the previous room as Stella follows. He states, "The thing that's been bothering me is the feeling I get when I see the light. I feel dominant while fighting, yet there's this strain on my soul. It's like I'm being pulled away from reality. It's as if I'm…"

"…dying."

Noctis looks at her and asks, "You feel that too?"

With a serious face, Stella tells him, "Yeah. I don't know why. I've read up on it, but found nothing. I guess that's the burden we have to carry."

Noctis sits down on a bench in the room and wonders, "What does it mean? Are we really dying?"

Stella sits down next to him. "Not sure, Noctis. We were chosen to possess a precious power. With it, you protect your kingdom and I assist mine. If death is the card we've been dealt, then so be it. But I'm not willing to give up my life for no reason. I have too much to live for."

"I do too. You're right, Stella. We'll find the answer. Mark my word." The two of them sit there and begins to stare out at the amazing view of the city again. Stella lays her head on Noctis' shoulder, surprising the prince.

Stella comments, "You're not as nervous around me like before."

Noctis answers, "Maybe it's because you didn't scare the hell out of me this time around."

Stella laughs and says, "You're too funny. Your girlfriend must love your sense of humor. Or is it your princess?"

Noctis replies, "I don't have a girlfriend or princess. I really don't have much time to date."

She picks her head up, looks at him and asks, "Well, has there been anyone special recently?"

Noctis immediately smiles at the thought that came to his head. "Umm…there was this one girl years ago. We were very, very close. We were like best friends, but I never had the strength to ask her out."

"So what happened to her?"

"Umm...I honestly don't know. One day, she just…disappeared. All that time together, then poof; she was gone. It's crazy how I still miss her this much."

Stella tells him, "She must have been special. I can see it in your eyes. That's what love does."

"Yeah."

Stella tells him, "I haven't been so lucky. I never meet guys that can keep up with me, or at least pique my interest. How come they don't make more men like you? Superpowers aside, of course."

Noctis blushes a bit, then says, "There's no real way to answer that." They both burst out laughing.

Stella replies, "That is rhetorical. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you."

Suddenly, Stella's female helper waves at her to get her attention. Stella tells the prince, "Give me a second, Noctis." She walks over to the helper as the woman delivers the news. Stella can't believe it. "What? Oh, darn it! Noctis, bad news. This meeting has to be cut short. My father is looking for me. He doesn't know I'm here. He hates it when I'm here at night."

"Oh. Well, that's okay. We can always meet up again."

"God, I had so much in store for tonight. I wanted to get to know more about you."

Noctis says to her, "You know where to find me. I'm sure you'll pop up out of nowhere again."

Stella smiles and says, "Yeah, you gotta watch out for me; I'm sneaky. Again, thanks for coming, Prince Noctis. I gotta run. See ya!" Stella walks off.

Noctis replies, "Have a good night, Princess Stella."

Stella stops, turns around and says, "I almost forgot something." She runs up to him, lays a big kiss on his cheek and tells him, "You're too cute. Ciao." She runs off, leaving Noctis there alone blown away. He takes one last look at the view of the city, smirks and heads back downstairs to head home.

* * *

_Crystarium Reign_

_Premiering February __13th__, 2010_

_Two paths. One legacy._

* * *

One more thing: This chapter felt like the vision I was hoping for. Writing this took me longer than the others because I really wanted to portray what Noctis and Stella's first 'date' would feel like. I wanted to get it right, despite the lack of information.

**What was your favorite part/quote from this chapter?**

Thanks to **Yuki Minamoto, Honor And Dreams, MidnightReader1 & Emsy **for your reviews. Much appreciated.


	7. Trailer 7

**The Authority**

And now, live from the military airship Marauder, we bring you a special message from PSICOM:

_Hello citizens of Cocoon. I am Lieutenant Colonel Jihl Nabaat. I am chief commander of our PSICOM forces. I come to you today to address a problem you're well aware of. There are individuals from Pulse that have infiltrated our fine city. They are all threats to us and must be exiled from here. Our military has made concerted efforts to solve this problem. We have carried out our mission at a highly successful rate. However, a resistance group has formed. This group is even more dangerous than the other simpletons from the city below. Most of them are from Pulse, while the rest are actually from here in Cocoon. These misguided people will be dealt with in time. If this group is watching this right now, please be assured that surrender is your easiest option. This is a fight you cannot and will not win._

_To the citizens of Cocoon, I give you one bit of advice: do not engage with anyone from or associated with Pulse. Simply informs us and we shall gladly take care of the problem. If we find anyone aiding and abetting those from Pulse, you will be punished as if you were one of them. In due time, Cocoon will be purged from anything and everything Pulse. On behalf of all of us at PSICOM, we want all of our citizens to continue living healthy and peaceful lives. Just know that we are here for you. We hope you have a wonderful day. Long live Cocoon._

The video feed ends. The media producer says to her, "Okay, we're off the air. That was great, Lieutenant Colonel."

Jihl tells him, "Thank you. What we're about to do next isn't meant to be televised. A lot of our citizens might get squeamish." She turns to her assembly of soldiers and monsters. She yells out, "Rosch!" Stepping forward is Lieutenant Colonel Yaag Rosch, her right-hand man.

Yaag asks, "Yes, Lieutenant Colonel?"

"Bring him out."

Yaag nods his head and bellows, "Bring out the intruder!" Two soldiers drag out a citizen of Pulse they found during a routine sweep. He tries to break free from their hold, but he is too weak. They throw him to the ground, directly in front of Jihl.

The scared man tries pleading with her. "Please don't. You can't…"

Jihl stops him. "The site of you annoys me. Your voice annoys me even more." Jihl extends her hand as one of her soldiers hands her a rifle. The man panics even more as she asks him, "Any last words?"

Someone yells out, "Wait!" Everyone turns to look at Oerba Yun Fang. She is an associate of PSICOM, despite being a resident of Pulse.

Fang asks Jihl, "May I approach him, mistress?" After thinking about it, Jihl nods her head in approval. Fang slowly approaches the man, kneels down, touches his face with both hands and prays for him. After her prayer, she tells the man, "Don't be afraid. There's no need to struggle. Very soon, you will be at peace."

Now in tears, the man says, "Please don't let them do this. I have a family."

Jihl responds, "Great. After I kill you, we can hunt them down next."

"NO!" The man gets up and angrily charges at Jihl. He is immediately halted by a spear impaled in the back of his right leg by Fang. She takes the spear out as the man crumbles to the ground.

The man wonders, "How…could you? You're from…Pulse too. Why?"

Fang deflects his query and simply states, "I told you not to struggle." She walks next to Jihl and Yaag.

Jihl points her rifle at the man and yells out, "NOW!"

Yaag commands someone to, "Open the hatch!" The airship's hatch opens up, causing the man to fall out. Jihl waits a few seconds, then fires a perfect shot through the man's skull despite being hundreds of feet away. The man falls lifelessly through the air before hitting the surface of Pulse, which the airship is hovering above. The hatch closes as the army cheers in approval.

Jihl says, "A little excessive there, Fang. I like that."

"I aim to please you, my mistress", replies the seemingly obedient Fang.

Yaag puts his right fist in the air and shouts out, "Long live Cocoon!"

Everyone else does the same. "Long live Cocoon!"

* * *

_Crystarium Reign_

_Premiering February 13th, 2010_

_Vivat Cocoon (Long Live Cocoon)  
_

* * *

**What was your favorite part/quote from this chapter?**

Thanks to the great **Yuki Minamoto & Missunderstood Dreamer **for your latest reviews.


	8. Trailer 8

**'Tis The Season**

Prompto narrates:

_Man, I love the holiday season, especially in the midtown section of Tenebrae. The city is littered with beautiful decorations, people are shopping in full mass and Christmas carols can be heard almost everywhere you turn. But not everyone's participating in the holiday spirit. Noctis and the rest of us guys were recently in a meeting at an office building with a man named Niko Yamaru. Um…you know, I shouldn't actually be telling you this. You seem like good people though, so here it goes._

_As you may or may not know, there's a ban on firearms in Tenebrae. Now, I can walk around in public with a shotgun in my hand because I roll with Noctis (we're kind of a big deal). Having hundreds of his bodyguards walking around with weapons is a different story. Because of the ban, Noctis uses Niko's services to help secretly transport and smuggle guns and other weaponry into his castle. The cost of this extensive operation: 50,000 Gils per month. Luckily that's chump change for a wealthy prince like Noctis (he's such a rock star). Well, I'm not here to bore you, so let me give you a summary of how this long meeting went down. _

_We went over the usual particulars, like time of departure, rendezvous points, yada yada yada. Next thing we know, Niko decided to ask for a new 100,000 Gil monthly salary, citing 'rising security concerns' (bullshit if you ask me). Noctis & the rest of us started arguing with that middle-aged tool. Gladiolus got extra agitated and told Niko where he could stick his suggestion. Niko proceeded to say he'd like to do the same thing to Gladiolus's mother. Gladiolus was not amused._

"You son of a bitch! Get off me!" He is escorted out of the room by Noctis, Prompto and Ignis. They try to restrain him from going after Niko.

"Your lap dogs need to learn how to behave, Noctis", says the boastful Niko.

"Gladiolus, calm down! Guys, hold him back", instructs the prince. He leaves Gladiolus to Prompto & Ignis as he approaches Niko. "What are you thinking, Yamaru? 100,000 Gils?"

"Times are hard, my friend. We're in a recession", replies the smug Niko. "Look, things are getting tighter around here. If you want the same quality of work, the price has to equate."

Noctis pauses for a few seconds. "Hmmm…is it alright if I gave it some thought?"

Niko replies, "Sure, fine by me. That was a long meeting. Things got a little testy. I hope none of what I said affects our partnership. Merry Christmas." He extends his hand.

"Merry Christmas." Noctis shakes his hand, but a little firmer than usual. Niko winces a bit before letting go. He walks out and flashes a smile at Gladiolus. Gladiolus tries going after him again, but is still held back by his friends.

"Relax, hothead. He's gone", the prince tells Gladiolus. "He baits you with that shit every time."

Gladiolus replies, "Sorry, Noct. It won't happen again."

Noctis informs him, "I know it will, but it means something that you said that anyway." The guys laugh.

Ignis asks, "So Noct, are you really gonna consider giving him that much money?"

"Of course not. Yamaru knows better not to mess with the Caelum family. I'll make sure he changes his tune…one way or another."

Prompto says, "Okay, let's blow this popsicle stand." They all head outside. Once they're at the top of the stairs, Prompto lets out a big "Oh!"

The guys get startled as Gladiolus yells out, "What the hell, Prompto?!"

"I almost forgot to give you your Christmas gifts." The guys can't believe it.

Noctis comments, "Gifts? Didn't we say no gifts this year? We're supposed to have a nice dinner later in the week to celebrate."

Prompto responds, "Yeah, I know. I just saw some things that you guys needed and pick them up."

Ignis says, "We can do this when we get home, you know."

Prompto proclaims, "I'm too excited to wait! You'll like them. They're in my car. Just wait right…" Before finishing his sentence, Prompto runs to the car to get the gifts. The guys smile and shake their heads.

Gladiolus says, "I'm telling you, that kid needs some Ritalin." Ignis and Noctis laugh.

Prompto rushes back with a shopping bag full of gifts. "Okay, first up is Ignis. Here you go."

Ignis opens the wrapped up box and is pleased by what it is. "Wow, a new pair of Kenneth Cole shoes. These aren't supposed to come out till next month."

Prompto replies, "I pulled a few strings with some people. Plus I know how much you like to dress to impress."

"Thanks Prompto." They give each other a hug.

Prompto goes on to the next recipient. "Okay, this one for Scruffy," Prompto's nickname for the scruffy-bearded Gladiolus.

Gladiolus unwraps his gift. "Ha ha. This idiot got me a leather jacket. I needed a new one after losing my last one. Thanks, Twerp." He walks up to him and puts him in a headlock. Prompto breaks free, then readjusts his black winter hat.

Prompto asks, "You're welcome, but must we be so hostile? Okay, last but not least, the honorable Prince Noctis. Here you go."

Noctis smiles as he receives it. He takes the gift out of the bag and is pleasantly surprised. "Wow, the new BlackBerry Curve. I've been talking about getting this one for so long. Thanks, man." They hug it out.

Prompto proclaims, "I'm glad I could bring my boys some holiday cheer. Now, my work here is done."

Noctis comments, "We really appreciate it, P. We definitely owe you one." The guys thank Prompto again as they start walking toward their respective cars.

"The only thing missing this Christmas is the snow", Prompto tells the guys. "I'm in the mood for another snow fight."

Ignis begs to differ. "I don't think you really want that. You caught a mean black eye last time we all threw down."

Prompto replies, "The risks of war, my friend. The risks of war."

Gladiolus also chimes in. "Besides, your throws don't hurt anybody."

Prompto starts flexing. "See these? These arms are a situation." Gladiolus smiles and gives him a playful shove.

Noctis shakes his head and simply says, "Merry Christmas, boys." Noctis gets in with Ignis, while Gladiolus drives in Prompto's car. They drive off back to the castle.

* * *

_Crystarium Reign_

_Premiering February 13th, 2010_

_This fantasy will be their reality_

* * *

One more thing: There will be a last trailer after this one before the real show begins.

**What was your favorite part/quote from this chapter?**

Thanks to **Yuki Minamoto, Mechii, & jacques0 **for the latest reviews. The feedback makes writing this story worth it.


	9. Trailer 9

**The Calm Before...**

Inside Team NORA headquarters, Lightning is meditating inside her private quarters. The white room is filled with her focused spiritual energy. After about 15 minutes of calm tranquility, Yuj delivers a message over the loudspeaker. "Can Lightning, Sazh, Vanille and Hope please come to the war room? It's time for the briefing of your next mission." Lightning reluctantly opens her eyes, stands up, grabs her gear and walks out of her room. She goes down the hallway and is a few feet from the entrance to the war room. Then she stops after hearing someone crying nearby. After a little investigating, Lightning turns the corner to see that it's Hope. He's sitting on the floor with his head tucked between his legs.

"Hope?"

"Oh! Miss Lightning…" Hope quickly tries to hide the tears, but Lightning already noticed him.

"Are you okay? Why are you crying?"

"I'm not…I mean, I was. It's nothing."

Lightning then discards his emotional state. "You know we have a briefing, right?"

"Uh…yeah, I heard. I'll be there in a minute." Lightning starts walking away from him until she just stops. Her guilt drives her to turn back around and confront him.

She kneels down in front of him. "Okay, what's wrong? And don't tell me it's allergies."

Hope is surprised that she came back. "Well... I was just thinking about my mother. I miss her. I can't stop thinking about her."

Lightning tries to figure out what to say. She finally comes up with something. "I know what you're going through. My parents died when I was young too." Hope is shocked as she continues. "I was 3 years old when my dad died and fourteen…your age when my mother passed away."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"Thank you. Right now, you probably feel very alone and very disconnected. In time, the pain will diminish. You'll always feel it, but it hurts less."

Hope wonders, "So, what did you do to help ease the pain?"

Lightning sits down to the right of him. "That's a whole different story. I took extreme measures after my mother died. For one, I wanted to become a mother figure for my sister Serah. Hearing her call me by my real name made that task difficult. So, I changed my name to Lightning. That way, I thought I could become a stronger woman and maybe change who I used to be. It only caused more problems."

"How so?"

"Let's just say my sister and I weren't on speaking terms for a while. You know what helped me deal with my parents' deaths the most? It was being around a group of people that believed in something. That's what you have here with me, Sazh, Vanille, Snow…."

Hope shouts back, "Please don't mention his name!"

"Sorry. Look, I'm not the biggest fan of his either, but we need to be in this fight together. You may not understand now, but you will." She stands up, extends her hand and says, "Don't worry, it'll get better. Now come on, we have a meeting to attend." Lightning smirks as she extends her hand to pick Hope up. He accepts her hand as she pulls him to his feet.

"Thank you, Lightning."

"You got it." The both of them proceed to walk into the war room, where Yuj, Vanille and Sazh are waiting.

* * *

_Crystarium Reign_

_Premiering February 13th, 2010_

_THE BATTLE WITHIN BEGINS…_

* * *

One more thing: Well, that was the last 'trailer' for the story. Thank you so much for all the reviews, alerts and favorite tags. And now, welcome to Crystarium Reign…


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